Knight blasts Lamar seniors after loss to SFA

By Christopher Dabe |
February 22, 2012

Lamar's Anthony Miles looks to shoot while a under pressure from Stephen F. Austin's Darius Gardner and Hal Bateman at Lamar University in Beaumont, Wednesday, February 22, 2012. Tammy McKinley/The Enterprise

Photo By TAMMY MCKINLEY

Lamar's Devon Lamb saves a loose ball from going out of bounds during the game against Stephen F. Austin at Lamar Univerisity in Beaumont, Wednesday, February 22, 2012. Tammy McKinley/The Enterprise

Lamar's Charlie Harper shoots from under the basket as Stephen F. Austin's Taylor Smith defends at the Montagne Center at Lamar University in Beaumont, Wednesday, February 22, 2012. Tammy McKinley/The Enterprise

Nothing for Lamar has gone well in the week since it clinched a spot in the Southland Conference tournament.

Four players were suspended or benched after they overslept before a loss Saturday at George Mason. Then Wednesday, with a chance to be in command for a higher seed at the league tournament in two weeks, Lamar had one of its worst showings yet in a 62-52 loss against Stephen F. Austin at the Montagne Center.

Lamar has three games left, but for a team accustomed to bad finishes over the last three seasons, there's definite cause for concern. First-year coach Pat Knight fears the six seniors he inherited might have packed it in after clinching a league tournament berth for the first time in four years.

"We've got the worst group of seniors right now that I've ever been associated with," Knight said. "Their mentality is awful. Their attitude is awful. It's been their (custom) for the last three years. To come out in a game like this, with no emotion and flat, it's terrible."

The loss prevented Lamar from having a firm handle on the No. 3 seed for the eight-team league tournament in Katy. Lamar also squandered a chance to move within one game of the East Division lead behind McNeese State, which had a late-game comeback fall short in a 93-89 loss to UT-Arlington.

"We've had problems with these guys off the court, on the court, classroom, drugs," Knight said. "I mean, it's being late for stuff. All that stuff correlates together if you don't win games. You just can't do all that B.S. and then expect to be a good team and win games. And if people have a problem with me being so harsh about it, I don't care.

"I came here to clean something up, and that's the bottom line. We have to get a better personality on this team. We have to get a better mindset, and that's where recruiting comes into play."

Lamar will play next season with eight new players.

Lamar's 52 points and 28.8 percent shooting were both season lows for home games.

"It has nothing to do with X's and O's," Knight said.

Lamar plays road games Saturday at Sam Houston State and Wednesday at Texas State, before returning home for the last regular season game March 3 against McNeese State.

"If they show up like they did tonight, there's no way we'll win another game," Knight said. "It's what they've been doing all year long. We've got to squeeze everything we can out of this group."